In a Small Town
by hidingunderblankets
Summary: Love sparks when a boy views his crush's photograph. [AU] [Happy Valentine's Day!]


In a world where humans and creatures walked hand in hand, the moon rose over a seaside town. Its rays shined across the waters on the clear night.

In a diner near the beach, a boy with black hair and blue eyes took the orders of a band of creatures. Whatever they chatted about left them in stitches – their laughter earned them eyes from across the diner. He simply shrugged his shoulders to himself.

The boy looked away and saw a girl with blonde hair and green eyes sat at the counter, fiddling with her straw. His heart raced inside. He'd seen this girl countless times before – and the day he did, he grew a crush for her. But he didn't bother asking her out, afraid of what would happen if he did. She frequented this diner, leaving him with sweat running down his neck often. Tonight was one of those nights. He lost himself, gazing at her, lowering his pencil and clipboard in his hands.

The painful smack of a creature next to the boy snapped him out of his trance. He rubbed his head and found the creatures glaring at him. Knowing what they desired, he readied his pencil and placed it on the paper as he straightened himself.

Later that night, the boy took a break and sat at an empty table. His head laid low as he gripped an empty cup. He looked inside it with discontent and sighed. He slid it aside as he sat either elbow on the table. He hoped his spacing out hadn't gotten him a pay deduction– he'd already lost a fourth last week.

He looked around the diner and saw the creatures, cracking up over gossip and dirty jokes that, though he didn't understand, knew were very adult. He looked right and saw the girl. She still had that bored face as she text messaged on her cell phone. He grinned as he stared at her for a moment.

His happiness vanished as he spotted an empty plate and cup nearby. He had no clue how long they'd been sitting there. Being in charge of keeping the tables sparkly clean, he stood up and approached the counter to drop them off at the kitchen.

Collecting the dishes, he checked the clock on the wall. It was twenty to eleven. Soon he'd be able to head home, something he'd been looking forward to all day. But he still had to finish up in the diner. He put the cup on the plate as he picked them both up. He bumped into someone the second he turned and stepped back.

The person he'd crashed into, a bear-like OverWorlder with an eye patch, turned around with an angry expression on his face. The boy's eyes widened as the creature grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground and making him dropping his dishes. They collided with the floor, shattering into pieces. The bear bashed his skull against the boy's, then pressed his forehead against his as he growled. They stared at each other – the creature exuded rage while the boy showed fear in his eyes. The other creatures looked their way, eager for violence.

The girl heard the shattering dishes and looked their way as well. The boy waved his arms, begging for mercy. It only made the bear angrier and pleased the creatures. She rolled her eyes as she stood up and approached them. She leaned sideways, making herself visible to the creature. She snapped her fingers, grabbing his attention. She gave him a risen brow as she tapped her foot and folded her arms. His teeth vanished after one last growl and he released him. He rejoined his Perim friends at the other side of the counter. The creatures bombarded him with questions.

The boy got back on his feet and dusted himself off. Looking ahead, he found the girl in front of him, who gave him a look as well. His palms grew damp – though he'd faced her a thousand times before, all but one were nothing more than him asking for her order. The only thing above that was the time he aided her when she slipped on a wet floor.

He opened his mouth and tried to say something. Just as his words were on the tip of his tongue, a vibration came from the girl's pocket. She pulled out her cell phone and read something on the screen. She put it away and reached into her other pocket, handing him money for her refreshment. She left the diner, zooming by the windows before disappearing into darkness.

The boy sighed as he looked down at the crumpled cash in his hands.

* * *

When his shift ended, he started his hike home. The wind had picked up, leaving an arctic chill in the air. Unfortunately for him, he didn't carry a jacket with him. Stuck in his work uniform, with his clothes soaked from last second dish duty, he shivered violently as he wrapped his arms around himself.

Halting at a red light, he watched cars pass by. He saw a line of them down the road – he wasn't moving for a while. He could only grit his teeth as he looked up at the moon. It reminded him of the girl – at times he found her taking pictures of it outside the diner. He leaned against a street light, saddened by his missed chance to at say something outside a thank you or how may I help you.

On the other side of town, the girl opened her bedroom door and flicked the light switch. She flopped on to her bed, viewing the starry sky through her skylight. She took a deep breath as she turned over to her nightstand and picked up a diary and a small key. Unlocking it, she turned a few pages and stopped at one bookmarked with a green sticky note. Attached to the page was a picture of the boy in the diner, his focus elsewhere in the shot.

She ripped the photo off the page and looked closer at it. The day she met the boy, she felt something for him. But her nervousness kept her from expressing that. Instead, she acted like she didn't have anything for the guy, using a faked face she'd used for the past several months. So far it seemed like it was working. But tonight, she felt like maybe she didn't have to do this. When she and the boy were face-to-face, she noted his nervous look and rubbing hands. It looked like he was trying to say her something, but anxiousness left him muted. Just before it appeared he was going to spit it out, she had to leave.

She curled up as she held the photo close to her. She wondered if her dreams of him and her together would become reality – her doubtful side told her it's only a fantasy, in spite of tonight's happenings.

* * *

Morning rose over the town. In the diner, the boy readied for yet another tiring day of work. He took the first few customers of today's orders and handed the notes of paper to the chef in the back. He held a steady pace as he tried to keep up with the day that caught speed as the town outside came to life.

Walking by the windows, he saw the girl on the other side of the street. She looked down at the book in her hand as she waited for traffic to clear. He felt concerned for her, but he couldn't do anything about it unless she came in here – which he hoped would happen today. He felt maybe he could give the conversing thing one more try – he had no idea how he was going to execute such a plan, but he felt confident.

He felt an empty soda can bop the back of his head. Not surprisingly, he heard one of those creatures calling for him. The group had entered the diner again today, and he overheard some of them saying they could get used to the place. Working in general was enough of a hassle, and from the looks of it, he had one more problem on his load.

Outside, the girl waited for the cars to stop driving. Today she had to visit the shop she bought her diary from, which she held in her hands. She'd lost her key in the vent on the floor and she couldn't retrieve it. Now she needed to buy a new one, and thankfully the store sold new keys.

She noticed the cars stopping at the line. She rose her head and saw the green light above. She began her walk across the street, looking at her diary. She placed her finger on the green note, then looked through the diner windows. The boy stood before the creatures from yesterday, taking their orders. They laughed over something and the boy looked annoyed. She wished she knew what was going in. But first, she wanted this diary business out of her way. She kept moving.

In the diner, a few of the creatures watched her pass by. They grinned fiendishly as they initiated their own little plan. They saw the boy shake in front of the girl last night and knew how he felt for her. Them and the other creatures sought comedy from him, and they knew one way they could get a decent reaction from the boy. They informed their friends they were off to do some exploring around town. They left through the closest exit and took the same street the girl took. The boy had his suspicions as he watched them fade away. But he couldn't do anything about it, not until break rolled in at the least.

* * *

Time passed, and the town grew even more busier. Thankfully for the boy that wasn't the case in the diner. The creatures had calmed down after going crazy over something one of them had brought up. Whatever it was left them hopping around the tables. He collected the last dish and put it on a tray with the rest. He looked at the clock – eleven. Break time had arrived.

He walked around the side of the building with a can of soda in hand. He took a seat at one of the outdoor tables shielded by an umbrella. He lifted the tab and took a sip as he turned his head towards the sidewalk the girl had taken earlier. He wondered what she was off to do, and why she carried that book in her hands?

On the far side of town, the girl happily exited a shop through automatic doors. She held a key up in her hand. She'd managed to get her hands on a new diary key, the last one in stock. She felt like the luckiest girl in the multiverse. She slipped it into her pocket as she began her travel home, examining her diary again.

Having her attention on it, she didn't see the trio of creatures in front of her. She bumped into the one in the center of the group, a green Mipedian with spikes protruding from his face, and fell on to the blacktop. She dropped her diary, which landed before the creature. He saw a loose photo wedged in the pages and picked up the diary. Using two of his claws, he plucked it out and took a look at it. The other two creatures, a pair of red Danians, peeked at it themselves, and they burst into laughter.

The girl showed daggers, aware of what the lizard held in his claws. She got up and charged at the creature, who held her back effortlessly with an arm. She tried to touch him, but he was just out of reach. The Danians pointed at the girl as they sniggered.

The girl yelled in anger and it echoed throughout the town. Most of the townsfolk ignored the yelling. But the boy didn't. He recognized the owner of that voice. It was her. He spit out his drink and looked behind him, hearing her scream again. He recalled some of the creatures leaving earlier, heading down the same path she did. He had a theory he assumed was right. He fumed as he began bolting down the street, dancing around cars and people as he crossed streets. The people in the cars yelled at him, but he didn't care.

He followed the sounds of screaming, cutting through alleys and crossing crowded roads as he tried to pinpoint the source of the girl's voice. His heart raced as fire burnt in his eyes. He knew what was happening, and even after only knowing them for two days, they'd already pushed his buttons. He wasn't going to put up with it, not when he had enough in life to deal with.

He continued following her voice until he found himself in the parking lot of a shopping plaza. Outside a dollar store he saw the girl surrounded by the creatures, who threw something like a Frisbee as the girl tried to take it from them. He learned it was a photo. They leisured over the girl's anger as they tossed it to each other, pulling fancy tricks as they kept it away from her.

The boy ran towards them, yelling for them to stop. The heard him, but they paid him no attention and continued teasing the girl. He approached the Mipedian as one of the Danians threw it to him. He tried to rip it from his grasp. The creature shoved him, sending him rolling across the pavement. The girl gasped while the creatures sneered. The boy struggled to get on his feet. He had a few scrapes on his arms and face. He growled at the Perimians, who found themselves unable to take him seriously – they were enjoying this far more than they thought they would.

While their eyes were on the boy, the girl saw a chance to take back her photo. She sneaked up on the Mipedian and reached for the photograph. Just as she was inches from it, the Mipedian noticed her and rose his arm. He pushed the girl, sending her stumbling backwards. He gave her a sharp toothed grin as he waved the photo, taunting her. The girl could only clench her fists. The Danians snickered at her.

The boy gritted his teeth, realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere directly. He searched the parking lot and found a cluster of shopping carts held in a caged fence. He noticed the parking lot had a slope to it. Gears cranked in his head, and he cooked up an idea. He looked at the creatures, who'd resumed playing catch with the photo. The girl only watched as they fooled with it.

He ran for the shopping carts, but stopped for a moment as his eyes caught a diary on the ground. He stopped for a second to snatch it before continuing. He reached the carts and found the gate door shut by a lock. He dug into his pockets for anything that might help him, but found nothing. He scanned his surroundings and still found nothing. He looked down at the diary. Sticking out of one of the pages was a bobby pin. He removed it from the diary and held it up. He knew how to use bobby pins on key locks, thanks to his juvenile delinquent years. He inserted it into the keyhole, hoping the girl wouldn't mind him using it. He tried to open it as fast as he could, fearing the creatures would tear the girl's photo. He concentrated strongly as he undid the mechanisms of the lock one by one until, finally, the lock loosened. He threw it aside and opened the gates, ordering the girl to watch out. The shopping carts sped down the parking lot like a stampede.

The girl heard him just in time and leaped out of the way. The creatures on the other hand were too late to get the hint. They tried to run away, but the carts trampled them. They piled on top of them, becoming trapped in the clump. Their limbs stuck out of the pile, one of which being the arm the Mipedian held the girl's photo in. The girl saw it and climbed up the hill of metal, gently taking it from him. She smiled at her photo as she found it unharmed, save the smudges and sweat on it. But that wasn't anything to stress over.

She stepped down, unaware that there wasn't a place for her foot. She fell and landed face first into the carts, losing her photo again. It floated down to the blacktop just as the boy arrived. He watched as it touched down right next to his shoe. He bent down and picked it up just as the girl rose her head and found him holding it. She stood up, fearful of his reaction. He lowered the picture and stared at the petrified girl with an ajar jaw. Her face gave him the answer to why she kept this photo, and he found himself speechless. He loved her, and, unexpectedly, she loved him too. It was as if this all was a marvelous dream. He pinched himself just to make sure he wasn't still asleep, earning him a faint giggle from the girl, who let it out from nervousness. She went silent again as she made her way down and approached the boy. She lowered her head and he turned his.

Eventually they pushed aside the funny feelings inside and looked each other in the eyes. Their sinking feeling vanished and they felt better. They introduced themselves – Tom Majors, the boy, and Sarah Cornwell, the girl. Tom handed Sarah the diary as he remembered himself sticking it in the pocket, stating he never read it. She said she believed him as she stuck the photo back in the diary. They gazed at each other again, losing themselves to warmth. For months, they worried about what they'd think about each other if they asked them certain questions. But now, knowing neither side would reject them, they found nothing to fear anymore.

Tom asked if Sarah had to head home. She answered no, to his hopes. His fingers wiggled as he got up the courage for his next question. He rose an arm, asking if he wanted to hold hands during their trip back to the diner, if she wished to go there. He explained he needed to get back there before his break was up. The girl accepted his offer and grabbed his hand. They gave each other one last glance before shifting their eyes forward and walking off. A few bystanders awed by the sight. As they strolled, Tom asked Sarah how long she had the picture of him. She replied, saying she'd taken on Halloween night.

The creatures in the cart pile popped their heads out, curious as to what was happening. They saw Tom and Sarah's hands locked as they crossed the street. They looked at each other, wondering what they'd missed. Why were they holding hands?

* * *

Back at the diner, the manager waited for the late Tom to arrive. The man hadn't a replacement for him. He was lucky he didn't have a full house – he could take a few orders until he returned. He crossed his arms as he checked the windows constantly, keeping his eyes out for him. The creature gang had caught word of it and waited anxiously, sensing great humor ahead.

The bells of the opening door rang and all eyes went on the entrance. In came Tom and Sarah, who chatted and still held hands. Tom saw his boss looking at him from across the room and stiffened. He checked the clock and realized what time it actually was. He panicked inside – the last thing he needed was to lose the best job he'd found yet.

The man noticed Tom and Sarah's hands linked and rose a brow. The bells chimed again and everyone watched as the Mipedian and the Danians walked in. The Mipedian stepped forward, claiming it was his fault Tom didn't make it back in time. Tom confirmed the Mipedian's story and Sarah joined in too, briefly explaining what had happened. The diner fell silent, left in suspense over what the boss would say back, especially poor Tom.

The boss unfolded his arms and turned away, telling him he'd give him the slip this one time. He returned to his office as the creatures moaned in disappointment – they piqued drama. Tom looked at the Mipedian and thanked the creature for saving him. The creature told the human he did it because he felt ashamed of himself for what he did in the parking lot. Sarah smiled as she forgave him.

Sarah took a seat at the counter while Tom hopped over it. He asked her if he could take her order, and she smiled as she requested a milkshake. Tom said he'd be right back as he entered the kitchen. When he entered, he threw himself against the wall, overwhelmed by what had just happened. Did they really just hook up? Did he just escape the treachery of punishment from his boss? He still couldn't believe this all was happening – but it was. They loved each other. He still had a job. He longer found himself wondering. And maybe the creatures would leave him alone now.

He erected himself and breathed deeply, taking in the events of today and wondering what else was in store for him. He smiled as he told the chef to ready a milkshake. When work was over, he wished to talk with Sarah more. But first, he needed to get through his shift. Again.

* * *

As the sun began dipping into the horizon, Tom and Sarah sat on a grassy cliff near the beach. They held hands as they watched the fireball sun – the rarest sun in on Earth – descend into the sea. They had nothing to say to one another – they just wanted to take in the moments, hoping it'd be one of many they'd experience together.


End file.
